A tutor's guide to teaching and learning at UQ - TEDI - University of ...

Section 3: Effective Small Group Teaching and Learning 19SECTION 3Effective Small Group Teachingand LearningIntroduction to small classesSmall group teaching refers to tutorials,seminars, practical classes, demonstrationsand clinical settings where students aretaught in groups of between ten and thirty– just the kind of teaching environmentthat you will most likely be responsible foras a tutor.These classes are very important in the overall quality of the experience thatundergraduate students have at university, and are especially important in establishingand maintaining contact between students and their teachers and peers, helping studentsto learn effectively and in having a sense of belonging to the university.Role of small classes in student learningSmall classes provide opportunities for demonstrations, expansion and elaboration onstudent understanding, a more effective forum for the giving and getting of feedback forboth students and teachers, and allow students to explore the relevance of knowledgewithin the context of a course, lecture or topic. Moreover, in the small classenvironment, students can develop in three key ways:Personally – small classes are important for students’ well-being, as well as learning,and fulfil a very important role in:♦Building confidence (e.g. in giving seminars, working in pairs/trios/projectgroups, developing the ability to discuss and argue, to present and justify anopinion etc)